


Brave

by SecretMaker



Series: Tumblr Drabbles 2015 [123]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: FTM Kozume Kenma, FTM Nishinoya Yuu, Gender Exploration, Genderfluid Yamaguchi Tadashi, M/M, MTF Yahaba Shigeru, Multi, Nonbinary Kageyama Tobio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:12:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5188217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of minifics exploring my babies as they explore their gender.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Year OT4 (TsukkiYamaKageHina)

11-10-15  
Prompt: Brave (ch 1)  
Pairing: TsukkiYamaKageHina  
Rating: G  
  
 “I don’t know about this, Shouyou,” Tadashi mumbled as Hinata dragged him through the front door of the shop. “If my parents found out-”  
  
“They’re not gonna find out,” Hinata assured him, glancing back for confirmation.  
  
“You can keep them at my house,” Tsukishima agreed. Kageyama nodded, and it seemed it was settled. Tadashi allowed Hinata to lead him over to a rack of skirts and start sifting through them.  
  
“What size are you, anyway?” he asked. Tadashi shrugged.  
  
“How am I supposed to know?” he asked. Hinata shrugged.  
  
“Okay, we’ll just guess, and you can try them on!” Hinata said, pulling out an armful of skirts. Tadashi stared at them in horror.  
  
“Oi, shrimp, he wouldn’t like those ones,” Tsukishima droned. Hinata opened his mouth to protest, but Tsukishima was already walking over to them with a modest floral dress in his hands. He held it up against Tadashi’s frame, then nodded, handing it to him.  
  
It was surprisingly heavy in his hands. The fabric was thick and textured, a creamy color with little pink flowers that thickened near the hem and thinned near the chest. It was absolutely beautiful, but Tadashi was sure he couldn’t put it on.  
  
“Yamaguchi.” Tadashi looked around to see Kageyama standing nearby, their own navy blue skirt in hand. “Do you want me to go with you?” Tadashi hesitated. He knew what they were offering. Kageyama never undressed in front of the rest of the team, never let anyone see them in a vulnerable state. And now they were asking if Tadashi wanted exactly that.  
  
“Are you sure?” he asked. They nodded and looked away, a blush rising on their cheeks. “Okay.” Kageyama led him into the largest dressing room in the store, hanging their skirt on one rack and a pretty white blouse on another. Tadashi could see their hands shaking as they reached for the hem of their t shirt.  
  
“Kageyama, you don’t have to do this,” Tadashi said, setting a hand on their arm. They smiled at him, the thin and timid thing that meant they were trying to reassure someone.  
  
“I know,” they said, then pulled the shirt off. They seemed to consider for a moment before pulling off the Velcro holding their binder in place. Tadashi looked away while they pulled the blouse over their head, then stepped out of their pants and into the skirt. He looked up when they hummed, turning this way and that to see their reflection in the mirror. Tadashi stared at them, awed.  
  
“How do you do that?” he asked. They shot him a questioning look as they tucked the blouse in. “Look good in anything,” he explained. “Doesn’t matter if you wear your binder or not, if you’re in pants or a dress or a potato sack, you always look amazing.” Kageyama’s face softened and they came to sit next to Tadashi.  
  
“Try the dress on,” they said, putting an hand on his shoulder. “If you like it, you’ll understand.”  
  
“If I don’t?” he asked, his voice small and weak.  
  
“Then we’ll try something else. It takes time.” Kageyama gave him a smile and nodded. Tadashi stood, facing the dress on the rack. He took a deep breath and reached for it.  
  
  
  
“Tsukki?” Kei’s head snapped up at the soft voice from the other side of the dressing room door. “C-can you come here?” Kei stood and tried not to sprint forward.  
  
“Are you okay?” he asked, settling his hand on the door.  
  
“I’m fine,” Yamaguchi answered. “I just don’t know if I can come out?”  
  
“Are you asking me?” Kei teased. Yamaguchi snorted and a weight lifted off of Kei’s shoulders. “Do you want me to come in alone, or should I go grab Hinata?”  
  
“If Shouyou’s there he can come in,” Yamaguchi answered. “But you don’t have to go get him.” Kei waved at Hinata who was staring at him from a shelf of pantyhose. Hinata dropped the box in his hand and trotted over.  
  
“Okay, we’re coming in,” Kei said. There was a click as the door unlocked.  
  
The first thing Kei noticed was Kageyama, sitting on the bench with a bored expression and looking just as ethereal as ever in a blouse-and-skirt combo. They glanced up, then looked at Yamaguchi. Kei followed their gaze and his jaw hit the floor.  
  
Yamaguchi was standing with his hands folded awkwardly and his hair sticking up five different directions. The dress stopped just below his knees, and it was a little too baggy in the chest, but something about him was glowing.  
  
“W-what do you think?” he asked. Hinata let out a high-pitched squeal and launched himself at Yamaguchi.  
  
“You look so pretty!” he shrieked, throwing his arms around Yamaguchi’s neck. Yamaguchi burst out laughing, and even Kageyama chuckled.  
  
Kei couldn’t breathe. There was a blush spreading across Yamaguchi’s cheeks and his head was thrown back with laughter. His eyes were bright and his shoulders were thrown back and Kei was so entranced.  
  
“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi said, looking at him with a suddenly worried expression. “Tsukki, you’re not saying anything.”  
  
Kei took a step forward, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat. “You look absolutely beautiful, Tadashi,” he said. Yamaguchi grinned and threw an arm around his neck, reeling him in to plant a kiss on his cheek.  
  
“You need a smaller size,” Kageyama commented. “Unless you want to get some breast forms? I think they sell something here that’ll work…”  
  
“No, that’s fine, I don’t need anything special,” Yamaguchi said in a rush, releasing Kei and Hinata to wave his hands in front of him.  
  
“Okay, but we gotta get you some shoes, too,” Hinata said, bouncing out of the dressing room. “And I think you should try something in, like, a light blue. It’ll look good with your skin.”  
  
“No, really, Shouyou, that’s too much-”  
  
“We should have time to hit that makeup store too,” Kei added. Tadashi stared at him with wide eyes, but Kei ignored him, leaving the dressing room with an arm around Hinata’s shoulders. “What about hairbands? I liked those ones your sister lent him.”  
  
“Ooh, yeah!” Hinata enthused. “We could get some with flowers on them!” Hinata took off toward the accessory section, Kageyama following him with a grumble. Kei turned back to see Yamaguchi watching himself in the mirror.  
  
“Tadashi,” he said. Yamaguchi hummed and turned toward him. “Happy birthday.” Yamaguchi grinned.  
  
“Thanks, Tsukki,” he said. “For everything.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Year OT4

10-8-15  
Prompt: Brave (ch 2)  
Pairing: TsukkiYamaKageHina  
Rating: T  
  
“Have you ever wanted to hate someone?” Kei asked Akaashi one day. It was an offhanded comment, really, but he figured if Akaashi wanted to answer, Kei wouldn’t object.  
  
“I thought I did, once,” Akaashi answered. “What prompted the question?” Kei made a face and crossed his arms.  
  
“Will you tell me who you thought you hated first?” he asked. Akaashi smirked.  
  
“Exactly who you think I did,” he answered.  
  
“So what made you change your mind?” Kei asked.  
  
“I realized that I was spending so much energy telling myself I couldn’t stand to be around him that I was staying up late thinking about it,” he said. “I was up until almost three in the morning thinking about how annoying he was, how clingy he was, how his hair pissed me off, and I figured that if I was spending this much time just thinking about him, my only two choices were to date him or murder him.”  
  
“You know, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re joking or not,” Kei said. Akaashi shrugged.  
  
“If you see him in the obituaries, you’ll know I wasn’t,” he said. He shot Kei one last smirk then walked off to stop Bokuto and Kuroo from piling more meat on Kenma’s plate.  
  
“Tsukki, you look constipated.” Yamaguchi came to stand next to Kei, leaning his head against Kei’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“What would you do if you had a crush on three people at once?” Kei blurted. Yamaguchi straightened to stare at him. “Nevermind, forget I asked,” Kei muttered, turning away. Yamaguchi laughed.  
  
“Tsukki, you know you can talk to me,” he said. Kei scowled. “Do you wanna go sit somewhere? So we’re not interrupted?” Kei nodded and followed Yamaguchi over to a trio of trees growing well away from the rest of the teams. “Okay, spill,” Yamaguchi said once they were seated. Kei groaned.  
  
“Okay, so, I might have a crush on three people at once,” he said.  
  
“’Kay, I got that part,” Yamaguchi said. “Can you tell me why that’s a problem?”  
  
“Because it’s wrong?” Kei answered. “Because how can I be faithful to one partner if I can’t even guarantee I won’t want someone else?”  
  
“Well, first off, that’s not how faithfulness works,” Yamaguchi said. “No one can control whether or not they like someone. The difference is whether or not you act on those urges. And Tsukki?” He leaned toward Kei until Kei looked up at him. “It’s not wrong to be attracted to multiple people.”  
  
“But I want to be with all of them,” he protested. “And-” He trailed off, looking away.  
  
“And what?” Yamaguchi prompted.  
  
“And I know that some of them like each other, too. I want them to be happy, together.”  
  
“Just to be clear, we are not talking about Kuroo-san, Akaashi-san, and Bokuto-san here, right?” Yamaguchi asked. Kei shot him a disgusted look and he laughed. “I’m just making sure,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Well, if this is something you genuinely want to pursue, you should talk to them. All of them, together. Tell them what you want and see if they might want it too.”  
  
“Who would want this?” Kei spat. “People are supposed to be with one other person.”  
  
“Not necessarily,” Yamaguchi said. “Some people are poly.”  
  
“Poly?” Yamaguchi blushed and tugged at the front of his shirt, a nervous habit that had been happening more and more.  
“Yeah, polyamorous, or polysexual,” he said. “I’m poly, actually.”  
  
“And that means…?” Kei pressed. Yamaguchi snorted and nudged him playfully.  
  
“It means I’m attracted to multiple people,” he answered. “A polyamorous relationship is one involving more than two people who are all equal. So, not like one person with multiple partners, but multiple people who are all partners with each other, if that makes sense.”  
  
“And that’s not… cheating?” Kei mumbled.  
  
“Not if everyone consents,” Yamaguchi answered. The key here is the equal part. Everyone knows everything, and everyone is involved with everyone if they want to be. It’s difficult,” he said, looking at the grass under them, blushing, “but it can work. If you want, I can bring the topic up to Kageyama and Hinata, and see if they might be open to the idea.”  
  
“Who the fuck said anything about either of them?” Kei sputtered, reeling. Yamaguchi stared at him.  
  
“Tsukki, I’ve been your best friend for ten years,” he said. “I knew exactly who you were talking about.” Kei blushed and deliberately did not look at him.  
  
“And, you’re okay with it?” he murmured. Yamaguchi leaned against him, his weight as reassuring as it had been when they were younger.  
  
“Of course,” he said. “I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. And, Tsukki?” Kei looked up at him. “No matter what happens, if you’re open to it, I would like to be with you. Regardless of what the others say.”  
  
“They won’t like it,” he said. Yamaguchi hummed.  
  
“I think Hinata might be more open than you’d expect,” he said. “Kageyama may be more hesitant. They’re not exactly all that good with people already; tossing three boyfriends at them might be a bit overwhelming.” Kei snickered at the thought and Yamaguchi smacked him.  
  
“Okay,” he said. He smiled at Yamaguchi. His chest felt lighter and his shoulders looser, as though a weight had been lifted. “Thanks,” he said. Yamaguchi grinned.  
  
“Anytime!” he chirped. “And thanks for trusting me with this.”  
  
“You’ve trusted me with more,” Kei answered. He thought of that first day in the locker room in middle school when Yamaguchi had tried on the girl’s uniform after hours and burst into tears. Yamaguchi shrugged.  
  
“I don’t think that’s really a matter of trust,” he said. “You’ve always supported me like that.”  
  
“Still,” Kei said. Yamaguchi smiled.  
  
“Still.”  
  
“Still.”  
  
“Still.”  
  
“Oh my god, go away!” Kei groaned, shoving Yamaguchi’s shoulder. Yamaguchi laughed, loud and bright, and stood, dusting off his shorts.  
  
“Bye, Tsukki!” he sing-songed. “I’m off to go spread your deepest darkest secrets to the two people you least want to know!”  
  
“Have fun,” Kei called, flopping onto his back and staring at the clouds. He smiled to himself, feeling utterly at ease for the first time in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Year OT4

10-11-15  
Prompt: Brave (ch 3)  
Pairing: TsukkiYamaKageHina  
Rating:  
  
Tobio had been feeling more and more uneasy lately. They had known for years that they weren’t a girl, and had figured out recently that they weren’t a boy either. A few shopping trips and some sleepovers with the ever-supportive Hinatas had left them feeling comfortable in their own skin. It’s just.  
  
Lately they couldn’t help but watch the way their mother’s dresses moved around her knees, or the way she pinned her hair up and let it down before doing it all over again. And they couldn’t help but stare at the broad shoulders and strong thighs of their teammates. He admired the girls’ uniforms for the way they felt wearing one, and the boys’ for the way their classmates looked in them. They dressed masculine most of the time at school, but that was really only to keep their place on the boys’ volleyball team. If they had their way they would wear some combination of the two, or trade off and on. And, if they had their way, they would watch the boys around them, the boys on their team, without a hint of shame.  
  
Okay, so just some of the boys.  
  
Okay, so three of them.  
  
And that made it worse. Out of all the boys on the team, all the boys in the school, they had to fixate on only three. Hinata, they could understand. He was their first real friend, the first person at Karasuno who they told about their gender and the first person besides their mother who had accepted them without a thought. Yamaguchi was a bit odd, but they could understand that too. He was cute, they weren’t going to deny that, and they could see a lot of themself in him. But _Tsukishima_? That must have been a fluke, they decided. Liking Tsukishima had to be just because he was tall and pretty. It was okay to think guys were pretty, right? But was it really okay to like guys in the first place?  
  
They weren’t a girl. But if they weren’t a boy, then liking boys didn’t make them gay. And if their sex was female and their orientation leaned toward boys, then who was to say they weren’t just a masculine girl?  
  
And if they were a masculine girl, then maybe they had really just been seeking attention all this time.  
  
And if they were really just seeking attention, that means that their grandmother and their middle school coaches and the neighbors and their old teammates had been right about them all along.  
  
And if they had been right-  
  
“Gee, you sure are a beam of sunshine today,” droned a familiar voice, drawing Tobio out of their thoughts.  
  
“What do you want, Tsukishima?” they snapped. They could see the moment when Tsukishima let his retort go as he settled into the chair across from them.  
  
“Are you okay?” he asked. Tobio narrowed their eyes at him and he raised his hands in front of his chest. “Look, I know we aren’t the most buddy-buddy, but I can tell you’ve been off lately. What’s wrong?”  
  
“Why the fuck do you care?” they asked. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at them.  
  
“Because you’re my teammate,” he answered. “And I may be wrong about this, but I thought that we were trying to be friends.” He leaned forward and folded his arms against his seat back. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”  
  
“You wouldn’t understand,” they mumbled, looking away.  
  
“You’d be surprised,” Tsukishima retorted. Tobio glared up at him, and he stared back evenly.  
  
“How?” they spat. “You’ve never questioned yourself a day in your life!”  
  
“Not about my gender, no,” Tsukishima agreed. “But I’ve questioned other things. And I know someone who’s in- well, it’s not exactly the same boat as you, but it’s similar.” Tsukishima blushed and Tobio found themself remembering the way Yamaguchi would tug at his shirt or glare at his reflection. So they nodded, leaning their chin on their arms.  
  
“I feel like I’m invalidating myself,” they admitted. Tsukishima nodded.  
  
“Can you expand on that?” he asked.  
  
“When I was born, they said I was a girl,” they said. “When I was older, I was sure I was a boy. And then I started hanging out with Hinata’s family and I thought that maybe I was neither, but-” they cut off, frustrated.  
  
“Just try,” Tsukishima said. “Even if I don’t get it, it might help you to put it in words.”  
  
“If I say I like a specific gender,” they said slowly, staring at where Tsukishima’s arms were crossed on the back of his chair, “then doesn’t it mean that I’m validating the opposite gender in myself?” Tsukishima hummed.  
  
“I don’t really know,” he said after a moment. “Personally, I don’t think so. I think that you should be with whomever you damn well please, and screw what everyone else has to say.”  
  
“Easier said than done,” they mumbled.  
  
“Maybe,” Tsukishima agreed. “But put it this way. If you don’t have a gender, then there’s nothing to say if you’re gay or straight or anything else. You should know by now that what’s between your legs has no bearing on _who_ should be there.”  
  
Tobio tried to fight it. They really did. But they couldn’t keep the laugh from rising in their chest or the smile from spreading across their face.  
  
“You made a sex joke,” they laughed. “An honest-to-god sex joke! I’m telling Suga-san.”  
  
“Do it and I’ll tell him you made a copy of Daichi’s key so you could practice on Sundays,” Tsukishima threatened. Tobio glared at him.  
  
“Why am I trying to be friends with you again?” they asked. Tsukishima grinned.  
  
“’Cause I get you,” he answered. “And you don’t have enough people like that in your life.” They felt their cheeks heat up, and they swore that Tsukishima’s were doing the same. A thought occurred to them.  
  
“Are you coming to movie night this weekend?” they asked. “Yamaguchi said he invited Hinata, but I wasn’t sure if he invited you too.”  
  
“If you’re okay with it,” he answered with a shrug. “I think Yamaguchi wanted to talk to you two about something specific, though. I’ll come if the three of you want me to.” The warning bell rang and Tsukishima stood, stretching his long arms above him. “You gonna be okay?” he asked. Tobio nodded and Tsukishima turned to go.  
  
“Hey, Tsukishima?” they called. Tsukishima turned to face them. “Tell anyone about this and I’ll kick your ass.” Tsukishima saluted him with two fingers and a chuckle as he walked out of their classroom. Tobio turned to face the board with a smile on their face.  
  
Okay. Maybe liking Tsukishima made a little sense after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KuroKen

10-21-15  
Prompt: Brave (ch 4)  
Pairing: KuroKen  
Rating: T  
  
Kenma scowled at his chest, trying to channel all his hatred for it and lop it off entirely. When that didn’t work, he bent to pick up his sports bra, trying desperately to ignore the sickening feeling of extra flesh swinging around.  
  
In a spectacular abuse of power - both over the team and over Kenma himself - Kuroo had instituted a ban on binding during practice and matches. Both Kenma and Fukunaga had scowled at him, but Kuroo had insisted. Something about their health being the most important thing and not wanting anyone to pass out from overexertion. So, Kenma had no choice but to wear his sports bra in the mornings and change before and after classes.   
  
Useless Kuroo. Always worried about Kenma’s well-being, even at the cost of his comfort. Kenma both loved and hated having a boyfriend who knew him well enough to not take any of his shit.  
  
Kenma pulled on a t shirt, scowling deeper at the way it seemed to cling to his breasts. He tugged on his jacket and zipped it all the way up. That was a little better, so he grabbed his bag and made his way downstairs.  
  
He didn’t say a word to Kuroo when he reached their meeting point, but kept walking. Kuroo chuckled and fell into step next to him.  
  
“I know you don’t like it, Kenma,” he said, “but it’s important to me that you stay safe.” Kenma sighed.  
  
“I know,” he said.   
  
“Here.” Kuroo stopped Kenma with a hand to his arm and started shrugging off his jacket. “Take off your jersey,” he said. Kenma gave him an incredulous look, but did as he asked. Kuroo took Kenma’s jacket and folded it into his own bag before draping his much larger one around Kenma’s shoulders. Kenma zipped it gratefully, breathing easier when he realized his chest was completely hidden by the extra fabric.  
  
“Thanks,” he mumbled, looking away. Kuroo smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.  
  
“You will have to take it off if you get too hot,” Kuroo warned.  
  
“I know,” Kenma grumbled.  
  
  
  
The rest of the day wasn’t much better, even after practice ended and Kenma put his binder on. His sweater felt too tight and his hips too wide and everywhere he went he felt like there were more eyes on him than normal. Three separate teachers used the wrong pronouns for him.  
  
Lunch didn’t go well either. He ate on the roof with Kuroo, Yaku, and Yamamoto, across from a group of girls who kept glancing their way and giggling. Yamamoto, of course, assumed they were giggling about him, and started flexing and showing off. Between him and Kuroo there was enough testosterone floating around the group to smother Kenma. He picked at his food, ignoring the concerned looks from Kuroo and Yaku.  
  
Afternoon practice was even worse. Having to take off his binder and put on his sports bra was a nightmare, and the feeling of his breasts bouncing every time he had to jog made him want to scream. Stretches were horrible as every time he bent forward he could feel just how much his hips stuck out and just how slender his shoulders were. And to make it all worse, Both Yamamoto and Lev had lost their shirts at some point and were now prancing around the gym, perfectly muscled and masculine.  
  
Kenma bit the inside of his cheek and continued practice.  
  
  
  
He was nearly in tears by the time he got home that evening, barely bothering to take off his shoes before he ran upstairs and threw himself on his bed. Even with the binder back on he could feel where there was too much pressure on his chest, and too little on his groin. His skin was too tight, his body too small, and the walls of his bedroom were closing in around him. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to fall asleep.  
  
It wasn’t much later when he heard his front door open and close and familiar footsteps move around his house.  
  
“Kenma?” Kuroo called, pausing just a moment before pushing open his door the way he always did. “Hey, kitten, I brought you something.” Kenma turned his head enough to look at Kuroo through one eye, but otherwise did not respond. Kuroo pulled Kenma’s desk chair over to his bed and sat, dropping a shopping bag on the bed. “I wasn’t entirely sure about the size, but if we need to exchange it it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.  
  
Curious, Kenma sat up and pulled the bag toward him. He pulled out a piece of white fabric, looking strikingly similar to the one he had put on that morning.   
  
“It’s not gonna get you as flat as a binder,” Kuroo said, “but it should work better than a normal sports bra. Kai said that Fukunaga tried it, but liked their normal sports bra better, so if this doesn’t work for you then you don’t have to wear it. I just figured it might be a little better than before, but you don’t-”  
  
“Thank you, Kuro,” Kenma whispered, clutching the bra tight to his chest. He looked up to see Kuroo biting his lip and smiled up at him.  
  
“Kenma, I really want to kiss you right now,” Kuroo said. Kenma snorted.  
  
“Then do it,” he replied. Kuroo grinned nervously and climbed onto the bed, leaning over Kenma. He settled a hand on the back of Kenma’s neck and leaned in to press their lips together. It was just as chaste and awkward and perfect as all of the other three kisses they’d had before, and Kenma loved it. Kuroo pulled back abruptly, staring at him with wide eyes as though terrified he had overstepped a line. Kenma rolled his eyes and leaned up to kiss him again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KyouHaba

12-10-15  
Prompt: Brave ch 6  
Pairing: KyouHaba  
Rating: T  
  
Kentarou did everything in his power to keep from skipping as he made the familiar walk to Yahaba’s house. She had invited him over with that sultry look in her eye that she only ever got when she was feeling particularly good about herself, which meant a night of cuddling and easy touches that Kentarou had quickly gotten addicted to.  
  
But when he reached her front door and she answered with dark shadows under her eyes and her hair in a messy bun, all his plans and giddiness flew out the window.  
  
He cocked his head at her and her eyes widened slightly. There was a deep divot between her eyebrows from furrowing them too hard, and her chest was noticeably flat. _Plan B it is, then._  
  
“Sorry to bother you, Yahaba-kun,” Kentarou said, just a little more loudly than necessary, “but I was wondering if you could help me with something. One of the volunteers at the shelter called in sick, and we’re going to be short-handed tonight.” Yahaba didn’t smile, but her jaw looked a little less tight and her brows relaxed.  
  
“Yeah, I could help out,” she said. “Wait here, I’ll be right out.” She shut the door and Kentarou could hear her talking to her mother as she moved around the house. She reappeared a few minutes later, dressed in a clean button down and slacks, volleyball bag slung over one shoulder. Kentarou thanked her and they walked away together.  
  
The farther away from her house they got the more relaxed she seemed. They were almost to Kentarou’s when she sighed heavily and tangled her fingers with his.  
  
“Thanks,” she mumbled. Kentarou squeezed her hand gently.  
  
“Has it been bad?” She grimaced, but shook her head.  
  
“I just wasn’t expecting her home so soon,” she said. “I barely had time to hide everything, but I was still wearing eyeliner when she came home. I don’t think she noticed, though.” They reached Kentarou’s door and he held it open for her.  
  
“You can use my room to change, if you want,” he offered. She smiled at him and a part of him was amazed at how far they had come since the first time she had been here, back when she was still pretending to be something she wasn’t and had burst into tears when Kentarou had caught her staring at a stick of eyeliner in his bathroom. He moved to the kitchen to make them some tea while she changed, wondering just what he was going to find when he went up there.   
  
His door was open when he walked up the stairs. He nudged it aside to reveal her sitting primly on his bed, staring down at her hands folded neatly on her skirt. She still wasn’t wearing her breast forms, but just the sight of her in a dress was a relief to Kentarou. He set the tray with their tea down on his bedside table and sat beside her.   
  
“May I?” he asked, gesturing to the hairbrush poking out of her bag. She nodded and slid to the floor, settling between his legs. Kentarou picked up the brush and pulled the elastic free of her hair, letting it tumble around her shoulders. He stroked a finger over the top of it before gathering it all in one hand and beginning to run the brush through it. “You have such nice hair,” he said softly. All at once Yahaba slumped back against his mattress, all the breath in her lungs leaving her in one great huff.  
  
“I hate it when she comes home,” she said. Kentarou stilled for an instant, but continued brushing with nothing but a sympathetic hum. For a moment Yahaba was quiet. Then, “Maybe she’s right. Maybe there is-”  
  
“If you say there’s something wrong with you I will beat you to death with this hairbrush,” Kentarou said evenly. Yahaba stiffened and turned to look at him. He shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with trying to be who you are,” he said. “And who you are is a gorgeous, intelligent, pain-in-the-ass priss of a girl.” Yahaba stared at him for a moment longer, then surged forward and climbed into his lap.  
  
“Kentarou,” she whispered, threading her fingers through his hair. Kentarou leaned forward to press their lips together, savoring the way she whined quietly and let her eyes flutter shut as she returned his kiss. She pressed herself closer to him, licking at his lips in a silent request that he granted immediately. Yahaba whined into his mouth and dug her fingers into his scalp. Kentarou pulled himself back while he still could. She sat back, dragging her nails down his neck.  
  
“Shigeru,” he gasped, holding on to her hips. “We need to slow down.” Yahaba looked at him with all the alluring innocence she had learned from Oikawa and pressed herself even closer.  
  
“I don’t want to slow down,” she murmured, looking down at him. Kentarou looked at her evenly.  
  
“I don’t want to do this if it’s only because you’re upset with your mom,” he said. Yahaba leaned back, surprised.  
  
“I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. She looked down at her hands on his shoulders with her brow furrowed. “But I… I don’t think that’s what this is. Or if it is, it’s only a very small part of it.”  
  
“Can I ask what the other parts are?” he questioned, though his grip on her hips tightened. She leaned her forehead into his, her brown eyes alight. Kentarou’s mouth ran dry.  
  
“The other parts are, in no particular order: I love you. I want to be with you. I trust you. And you are fucking built and I want you to pin me to this bed and ravish me.” Kentarou glared at her. “But mostly,” she added, sliding her hands back up into his hair, “because I love you.”  
  
“Okay, then,” he growled, lowering her to the bed and looming over her. “I can work with that.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TanaNoya

11-7-15  
Prompt: Brave ch 5  
Pairing: TanaNoya  
Rating: T  
  
Ryuunosuke groaned and fell heavily onto the couch, across his sister’s lap. “Nee-san,” he whined.  
  
“There, there, Ryuu,” she said, patting his shoulder. “It’s okay.”  
  
“No, it’s not,” he argued, pushing himself up slightly only to flop back down. “It’ll never be okay again.”  
  
“You’re heavy you know,” Saeko said, shoving him to no avail. “What’s wrong, anyway?”  
  
“Girls are so pretty,” Ryuunosuke answered.  
  
“Okay? So what’s wrong?”  
  
“Girls aren’t the only ones.” Saeko snorted.  
  
“Does my baby brother have a crush on a boy?” she sing-songed. Ryuunosuke glared up at her.  
  
“No,” he said petulantly.  
  
“Yes you do,” she insisted.  
  
“Nah, it’s not a crush,” he told her, sitting up. “I just, I dunno, I was thinking about how pretty my manager is, and then it got me thinking that Suga-san is pretty too, and Noya’s pretty good-looking, and so are a couple of my kouhai, and Ennoshita, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” Saeko doubled over laughing.  
  
“Ryuu, nothing’s wrong with you,” she said.  
  
“Then why-”  
  
“It’s okay to like both,” she said.  
  
“I know that,” he snapped.  
  
“Then what’s the problem?” Ryuunosuke groaned and dropped his head into his hands.  
  
“Okay, so it might be a crush,” he mumbled into his palms. Saeko cheered and clapped him on the back.  
  
“WHO?” she demanded. Ryuunosuke shook his head. “Is it Yuu? It’s Yuu, isn’t it? C’mon, tell me! Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me!”  
  
“I will tell you nothing,” Ryuunosuke said, standing abruptly. “Goodbye, sister.”  
  
“Aw, Ryuu, don’t be like that!” she shouted after him as he stormed up to his bedroom.  
  
His phone was sitting on his desk, lit up with a notification, and he groaned upon seeing who it was from.  
  
SUGAMAMA: [You should know better than to try and run from me, Tanaka.]  
  
Ryuunosuke groaned and opened his messenger to reply.  
  
ME: [I have no idea what youre talking about suga-san. I am not running from anything.]  
  
Suga responded immediately.  
  
SUGAMAMA: [Don’t lie to me Tanaka Ryuunosuke. I saw you checking him out in the clubroom today.]  
  
ME: [I was making sure his binder wasnt on to tight and you know it]  
  
SUGAMAMA: [SO IT IS NOYA!]  
  
“Shit.”  
  
ME: [No i have no idea what your talking about.]  
  
SUGAMAMA: [Well, I know for a fact that you were /not/ checking Kageyama out, so that only leaves one other person on the team who wears a binder, Tanaka.]  
  
ME: [I wasnt checking him out tho]  
  
SUGAMAMA: [It’s okay, you know. Noya’s a great guy. You could do a lot worse than him.]  
  
ME: [OH MY GOD I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON NOYA]  
  
What followed was a series of selfies featuring Suga, Daichi, Ennoshita, and even Asahi, all with varying degrees of exasperation on their faces. Though, Asahi looked mostly confused. Ryuunosuke shook his head and replied with a shot of his middle finger. Suga sent back an image of utter motherly shock, to which Ryuunosuke rolled his eyes.  
  
SUGAMAMA: [Seriously, though, you should talk to him. I think it’d mean a lot to hear it from you rather than from Tsukishima.]  
  
ME: [You wouldn’t.]  
  
SUGAMAMA: [You know how I know you’re scared of me Tanaka? You always use proper grammar when you think I’m about to ruin your life. Because you know I have the power to do so.]  
  
SUGAMAMA: [Think about it.]  
  
Ryuunosuke groaned and dropped his phone back onto the desk. He was supposed to meet Noya in less than an hour so they could see a movie together, but now he was sure that he wouldn’t survive it. Not with his sister and half the team thinking they were going on a date already. He thought back to earlier that day and the incident Suga had called him out on. Noya, unlike Kageyama, had no shame when it came to changing in front of the rest of the team - not that anyone would judge Kageyama either way. But rather than change in the girls’ locker room with Kiyoko and Yachi, Noya usually stripped right there with all the other guys, and Ryuunosuke hadn’t been able to keep himself from watching that day. Not with the way Noya’s abs were so defined, or the way his shoulders bunched and rippled with the movement. There were bruises all over his skin, looking like watercolors on a lightly tanned canvas. The shirt had ruffled Noya’s hair just slightly and- _shit_.  
  
Ryuunosuke’s heart was stuttering and his palms were sweating and he had no fucking clue what to do. It wasn’t like when he normally got hot and bothered over someone - he was a teenage boy after all, inconvenient boners and all. But this was different, this was butterflies in his stomach and a tremble in his fingers and _holy shit was that Noya’s voice downstairs?_  
  
Ryuunosuke sprinted from his room and down the hall just in time to see Saeko sweep Noya up in a hug. She had a devilish glint in her eye which only got brighter when she spotted Ryuunosuke.  
  
“Okay, let’s go!” he shouted, jogging down the stairs and grabbing Noya’s arm. He tugged the smaller boy away from his sister and out the door, ignoring both their protests.  
  
“Ryuu!” Noya tugged hard on his arm, bringing them to a stop. “Ryuu, you’re not wearing any shoes.” Ryuunosuke looked down at his - _hey look at that_ \- bare feet and immediately wanted to throw himself into traffic. “Ryuu, what’s going on?” Noya asked.  
  
“Sorry, Noya-san, I’m just a bit out of it,” he mumbled. Noya rolled his eyes and pulled him back toward his house.  
  
“Well, snap out of it,” he ordered. “I need your help deciding how to get back at Suga-san for something.”  
  
“What’d  he do?” Ryuunosuke asked as he bent to put his shoes on. Noya huffed and turned lightly pink.  
  
“Non’ya,” he muttered. “Just- I need your help, okay Ryuu? And-” he spun around to look Ryuunosuke in the eye with a deadly look on his face. “Do not believe a word he says, Ryuu. He’s a dirty liar, okay?”  
  
“Nee-san brought back some Kool-aid packets last time she went to America,” Ryuunosuke said. “We can fill his showerhead with them this afternoon while he’s on a date with Daichi.” Noya grinned at him.  
  
“See, Ryuu, this is why I love you,” he crowed, slapping Ryuunosuke on the back. Ryuunosuke flushed and looked down.  
  
“What’re friends for?” he mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have no fear, my friends, this chapter will receive a second part!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TanaNoya

12-15-15  
Prompt: Brave ch 7  
Pairing: TanaNoya  
Rating:  
  
Yuu was used to Ennoshita and Suga glaring at him. Okay, he was used to a lot of people glaring at him for a lot of reasons. Ennoshita and Suga just happened to glare at him for a very special reason.  
  
The point was, he could handle their judging looks and exasperated eyerolls. What he could not handle was the way Asahi was looking at him now.  
  
“What?” he demanded, glancing paranoid over his shoulder at where Suga was pulling on his jacket. The three of them were the only ones left in the club room. “Why d’you keep looking at me like that?” Asahi flushed and looked away, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.  
  
“I-it’s not important,” he stammered. Yuu reached up so that he could grip Asahi’s chin in one hand, tugging him closer to eye-level to glare.  
  
“Asahi-san,” he scolded. Asahi slumped and closed his eyes.  
  
“Suga and Daichi wanted me to talk to you about Tanaka,” he said at last. Yuu stiffened, releasing his hold on Asahi. Slowly, mechanically, he turned away from the ace and began walking toward the door. Behind him, Asahi sighed softly. “Noya,” he groaned as Yuu was tugged back by the collar. “You can’t keep running away every time someone wants to talk to you about this.”  
  
“Why not?” Yuu demanded. “’Snot like talking’s gonna get me anywhere. We all know he’s too straight to even look at me.”  
  
“Sometimes it amazes me how stupid the two of you can be,” Suga chirped. Yuu glared at him halfheartedly and he smiled in return. Turning to face him fully he considered Yuu with that fond, motherly expression he got whenever someone was being particularly adorable and stupid. “Noya, trust me when I say that Tanaka is no where near as straight as you seem to think he is.” His eyes softened and he dropped a hand on Yuu’s shoulder. “Just, go talk to him, okay?”   
  
“Like hell,” Yuu responded. “Look, I’m glad that you ‘n’ Daichi-san are so happy together, but that doesn’t mean that all the rest of us get our happily-ever-gayer too.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. “If I tell Ryuu then he’ll say it’s fine, and that we can still be friends, but it’ll get weird. I’d lose him as my best friend.”  
  
“You can’t know that,” Asahi said. Yuu shrugged.  
  
“Doesn’t matter. It’s not worth the risk.” Suga rolled his eyes and planted his hands on his hips.   
  
“Nishinoya Yuu if you don’t talk to that boy then I’ll tell someone who will,” he threatened. Yuu raised an eyebrow.   
  
“How’re Daichi-san’s recurring wig dreams?” he asked. “I sure hope the vice principle doesn’t figure out that the two of you still fixate on that whole little event.” Suga raised a finger in warning.   
  
“Don’t sass me, Noya,” he said. “You won’t like what happens.” Yuu stuck his tongue out at him and turned to go, pulling out his phone as he went.  
  
ME: [We still on for today man?]  
  
RYUUUUUUUUU: [You kno it bro]  
  
Yuu sighed heavily and turned up the street toward the Tanaka house.  
  
“Pardon the intrusion,” he called as he let himself in. Saeko burst around the corner with an excited shout.  
  
“Yuu!” she called. “Great! I was hoping you’d come by today. Ryuu’s been all weird today, and you’re just the boy to help with that.”  
  
“What’s wrong, Nee-san?” Yuu asked, his brows furrowed. Saeko shrugged and waved her hand.   
  
“He’s being a big baby,” she answered. “Something about a crush he won’t tell me about and a bit of an identity crisis or something.” Yuu’s mouth went dry. He looked up at Saeko and tried to find a bit of will to steel himself.  
  
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. Saeko grinned and pulled him into a hug just as Tanaka’s door opened and he came thundering down the stairs.  
  
“Okay, time to go!” he said as he grabbed Yuu’s arm and stormed out the door. Yuu blinked in surprise, tugging at Tanaka’s arm to get him to stop.  
  
“Ryuu!” he shouted. “Ryuu, you’re not wearing any shoes.” Tanaka blinked down at his feet in confusion. Yuu sighed. “Ryuu, what’s going on?” he asked.  
  
“Sorry, Noya-san, I’m just a bit out of it,” he mumbled in response. Yuu rolled his eyes and grabbed Tanaka’s arm more firmly, tugging him back to the house.   
  
“Well, snap out of it,” he ordered. He took a glance at Tanaka out of the corner of his eye, catching the sad expression on his face, and made his decision. “I need your help deciding hot to get back at Suga-san for something.”  
  
“What’d he do?” Tanaka asked, bending in the genkan to tie his shoes. Yuu huffed and looked away, willing down the blush that crept into his cheeks.  
  
“Non’ya,” he said. “Just- I need your help, okay Ryuu? And-” he turned to look at Tanaka, desperate he make this one and only point. “Don’t believe a word he says, Ryuu. He’s a dirty liar, okay?” Whatever happened, if he could pass of Suga’s consequences as a joke, then maybe he would be able to keep his friendship with Tanaka just the way it was.  
  
“Nee-san brought back some Kool-aid packets last time she went to America,” he said. “We can fill his showerhead with them this afternoon while he’s on a date with Daichi.” Yuu grinned, hoping he couldn’t see through it.  
  
“See, Ryuu, this is why I love you,” he shouted, slapping Tanaka on the back. Tanaka looked down to finish tying his shoes.  
  
“What’re friends for?” he asked. Friends. Yuu swallowed hard around the lump in his throat.  
  
“Right,” he answered. “So c’mon. Let’s go, the movie starts in twenty minutes.” Not that Yuu would survive sitting through an entire movie next to Tanaka. But he had to try. Tanaka nodded and stood, leading the way out of his house. Yuu followed, biting his lips to keep away the urge to hold Tanaka’s hand.  
  
This was fine. This was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, I'll make it all better. But I, like these idiots, need time to do so.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TanaNoya

12-18-15  
Prompt: Brave ch 8  
Pairing: TanaNoya  
Rating: T  
  
“Hey, Tanaka, can you come here for a sec?” Ryuunosuke blinked up at Ennoshita suspiciously, but followed him toward the supply closet nonetheless.  
  
“What’s up, Chikara?” he asked. Ennoshita slung an arm around his shoulders genially and grinned at him.  
  
“Not much,” he said. “I mean, I can’t believe I actually have to do this, but hopefully it’ll mean some peace.” Before Ryuunosuke could ask for clarification several things happened at once.  
  
One: Suga, who had been standing in front of the closet door, pulled it open.  
  
Two: Ennoshita’s grip turned vice-tight and he all but threw Ryuunosuke into the closet.  
  
Three: Ryuunosuke turned with a complaint on the tip of his tongue, only to watch as Suga slammed the door shut.  
  
Four: Noya groaned loudly somewhere behind him.  
  
Ryuunosuke blinked at the door in shock.  
  
“Did they just-”  
  
“Lock us in here?” Noya supplied. “Yep.” He was lounging against a stack of boxes, legs crossed at the ankles and arms behind his head. “And Suga’s guarding to keep Shouyou and Kageyama from letting us out, so you might as well get comfortable.” Ryuunosuke threw the door one last dirty look before giving a mental shrug and going to sit across from Noya, propping his own feet up on Noya’s thighs.  
  
“So now what?” he asked. Noya laughed humorlessly.  
  
“Now we wait them out,” he answered. “They have to let us out eventually, so hopefully this’ll get it out of their system and they’ll stop tryin’ to-” Noya flushed and fell silent, looking down and picking at the edge of a bandage on his knee.  
  
“Tryin’ to what?” Ryuunosuke prompted. Noya shook his head.  
  
“’Snot important,” he mumbled. Ryuunosuke might have let it go.  
  
But.  
  
Noya looked so sad, staring at nothing and fidgeting restlessly. He looked… small, something that Ryuunosuke had been sure he wasn’t even capable of.  
   
“I think it is,” he said softly. Noya stiffened and pulled his knees up to his chest, dislodging Ryuunosuke and wrapping his arms around his legs.  
  
“Please don’t do this, Ryuu,” he whispered. Ryuunosuke scooted forward enough to put a hand on Noya’s knee.  
  
“If you really don’t want me to,” he said slowly, “I’m totally cool with not talking about this. But-” he said quickly when Noya opened his mouth, “I really do think it’d be better to talk. Whatever’s goin’ on’s got you upset, and you know I hate seeing you like this.” Noya settled his chin on top of Ryuunosuke’s hand, watching him steadily.  
  
“What if I said that what’s goin’ on could ruin our friendship?” he asked. It was a struggle, but Ryuunosuke kept eye contact as he spoke.  
  
“I promise it won’t,” he said. “There’s really not much you could say to get rid of me.” Noya’s eyes grew hard and bright. The corners of his mouth pulled down and he leaned up and away from Ryuunosuke.  
  
“You have no idea,” he said. “Everything’s great for you in your nice little straight world. You don’t have to worry about anything.” Ryuunosuke’s chest tightened and his eyes stung, but he squared himself and plowed through it.   
  
“Hey, if this is about Asahi, then I’m tellin’ ya you have nothing to worry about,” he said. “Lucky you, the guy you like actually likes you back.” Noya’s eyes grew dark and his entire body was more still than Ryuunosuke had ever seen it.  
  
“This isn’t about Asahi,” he said, his voice quiet and sharp as moonlight glinting off a blade. “This has never been about Asahi, which you would know if you paid any attention. But you straight guys are all the same. It’s fine to have a gay friend, but you never stop to think about what that means.”  
  
“Who the fuck said I was straight?” Ryuunosuke shouted. Noya huffed.  
  
“No one had to, Ryuu,” he grumbled. “It’s pretty damn obvious.”  
  
“Then your gaydar sucks, man, ‘cause I’m about as straight as a volleyball.” Noya stared at him, but at least now he looked confused rather than angry. All of Ryuunosuke’s energy drained out of him at once and he slumped against the broom rack. “Sorry for yellin’, I just thought you knew.”  
  
“But Kiyoko-san” Noya sputtered, still staring at him. Ryuunosuke shrugged.  
  
“That’s Kiyoko-san,” he said. “It’s a game, y’know? ‘Cause we’re guys, and she’s a goddess, so we’re supposed to worship the ground she walks on, right? And anyway, it’s not like I ever had a chance with you, so I just played along.”   
  
Ryuunosuke wasn’t sure what he expected from Noya when the other finally learned of his feelings. Disgust, maybe. Awkwardness, definitely. Probably an attempt to stay friends and not be weird that would fail miserably, because those things always did. But he never expected Noya to snort loudly and crawl into his lap, twining his arms around Ryuunosuke’s neck.  
  
“One rule,” he said. “Suga never finds out that throwing us in the closet worked.” Then he leaned in and kissed Ryuunosuke lightly on the lips. He pulled away with a blinding little smile before leaning his head on Ryuunosuke’s shoulder. Ryuunosuke wrapped his arms around Noya’s waist and held him close to his torso.  
  
“Okay, but we’d be missing out on a lot of ‘coming out of the closet’ jokes,” he warned. Noya hummed in consideration.  
  
“Then I guess you’re gonna have to figure out a good date to take me on that we can make a different pun out of,” he said. Ryuunosuke chuckled and nudged Noya’s head with his chin.”  
  
“Deal.”  
  
  
  
“Do you think it worked?” Koushi glanced at Yamaguchi and shrugged.  
  
“They’re not… complete idiots,” he answered. “It should work.”  
  
“Yeah, but there’s still a lot of room for them to screw it up,” Ennoshita added.   
  
“Well, it’s Tanaka and Noya,” Koushi reasoned. “If it worked, it should be easy to tell.” Ennoshita nodded. Asahi was busy pulling the broomstick out of the door handles to let them out while Koushi, Ennoshita, and Yamaguchi watched from across the gym.  
  
“How so?” asked Yamaguchi. Koushi and Ennoshita grimaced simultaneously.  
  
“Two ways,” Koushi told him. “Either they’re going to come out fawning all over each other, or they’re going to try to pretend it didn’t work to save their pride.”  
  
“How would we tell if it’s the second way?” Yamaguchi sounded wary. Koushi sighed and patted him on the shoulder. Sure enough, Nishinoya and Tanaka both burst out of the supply closet full force, all frantic movements and loud shouts. Koushi didn’t have to search long before he caught sight of a large red mark crawling up from under Tanaka’s collar, all the way up to just behind his ear. He glanced at Yamaguchi to explain, but the look of horror on the first year’s face suggested he had already noticed the hickie. Koushi patted him on the shoulder again.  
  
“Welcome to motherhood,” he grumbled. “You’ll get used to the nausea.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


End file.
